The property is part of Utica's Scenic and Historic District so the property's owner should have obtained a certificate from Utica's Scenic & Historic Preservation Commission.

While that didn't happen, Cobblestone did obtain a demolition permit from the city's codes department Sept. 6. The permit was issued erroneously, said Frank Suppa, acting codes commissioner and deputy fire chief.

"And I take full responsibility for it," Suppa said.

The president of the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica expressed anger.
"It was illegal," Michael Rizzo said. "There has to be accountability and 'I'm sorry' just isn't cutting it."

The demolished structure had been connected to 421-423 Broad St., which is referred to as the Byington Mill building. A five-story structure there was constructed in 1910 by the Frisbie-Stansfield Knitting Co.

The portion demolished last week had been a two-story office wing added in 1912.
The Broad Street building was also registered with the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 1993, according to the register's online database.

An awning described the structure's address as 419 Broad St, but historic register records clearly describe the two-story structure as part of the historical designation.
The demolition permit was issued by a building inspector, a one-time mistake caused by the codes office being overwhelmed by an increase in construction projects. Those including projects at Utica College and the former Weaver Estates, he said.

"The process of checking the fine, minute details of the map was overlooked that day," Suppa said.

The city's Scenic and Historic Districts encompass 1,500 parcels of land and properties, according to the city's Web site.

When contacted by the O-D Tuesday, Cobblestone Owner Walter Moore said he wasn't aware that the building was in a scenic and historic district.

"If it was, they certainly wouldn't have given me a permit to knock it down," Moore said.
In 1994, a similar failure occurred when a demolition permit was issued improperly for a Rutger Park property.

Now, Rizzo said he would like the City Council to pass legislation that would institute a 10-day waiting period after a permit is issued so that preservation groups could review them.

"If the city is overwhelmed, then let us check to make sure they're not ripping down landmarks," he said.

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